Escaping Reality
by kohano haru
Summary: Sakura Haruno has been labeled a goth at her highschool. She has no friends and thats the way she likes it. How will she deal with poeple finally reaching out to her? Well things go from bad to worse when the lying Uchiha bastard shoes his true colors.
1. Prolouge: her Scarlet blood Pt 1

Sakura sat on her knees in her bathroom floor. Her short pink bangs covered her face as she looked down ashamed at what she was about to do. She couldn't take it anymore though. She needed to get out. She needed to escape this hell hole called reality. She took out a pocket knife and looked at it for many minutes. It was silver, smooth, and shiny. Sakura knew what to do with it and knew it was the only way to make the pain stop and the unwanted thoughts go away. It would solve her problems in so many ways and as she thought this she brought the knife up to her cheek. She wiped away the last tear that would ever fall from her out pouring eyes with the cold sharp tip of the knife. It left a scratch and blood trickled down Sakura's cheek. She smiled sadly. The metallic taste of her own blood was delicious compared to the salty wetness of her used up tears.

The lights in her bathroom started to flicker but Sakura paid no mind to it. She was only obsessed with the freedom this knife could give her. Sakura brought the knife down once more but stopped and held the knife right over her left arm. She turned her arm so that her palm faced upward and remembered her reasoning. She let all the pain and hidden thoughts come freely to her as she sat in her shadowy bathroom. She let herself feel everything at once and then brought the knife down upon her wrist. She dragged its cold ruthless tip up her arm and only stopped at the elbow. She felt her arm soak itself in her own blood and for once young eight year old Sakura's mind wasn't spinning with evil thoughts. She felt dizzy and couldn't think at all and now young Sakura Haruno was happy even as she fainted in the darkness; even as she lies content in a puddle of her own scarlet blood.


	2. What's become

Sakura swung up into a sitting position in her bed. She realized that her room was still dark and looked at the alarm clock. It was five o clock. Sakura sighed as she tried to slow down her racing heart beat. She used her left arm to wipe away the sweat on her forehead and gasped when she felt the risen flesh. She brought her arm down and examined it. A line of risen white flesh stretched across her arm. Sakura rolled her stem green eyes at her own stupidity. Every time she awoke and realized that scar was there she would be surprised as if she didn't know it was there the day before. Sakura jumped out of her bed and walked over to her closet. She opened one of the sliding doors and pulled her plain white T-shirt off.

Sakura quickly put on a black T-shirt and baggy black training shorts. She pulled her shoulder length pink hair into a ponytail and grabbed a head band from a shelf in her closet. She pulled her bangs back and grabbed her I pod before opening her window and jumping out.

Sakura was fifteen and lived in a small apartment on the second floor. She didn't have parents because they died when she was five. She had grown up in an orphanage until she turned fourteen and was finally allowed to move out on her own. Sakura had always hated the orphanage. It was like a constant reminder that she had absolutely no one. Sakura smiled to herself as she began to jog at a seven m.p.m (minute per mile) pace. She never needed anyone anyway.

Sakura always thought that independence was important. She had a shitty job at some coffee shop and she was underpaid but Sakura Haruno lived on her own at fifteen and paid her bills. The only thing she didn't pay for was tuition and that's only because the government is forcing her to go to some rich school that they pay for. The rule was that if Sakura attended this school she would be allowed to live on her own and so Sakura obliged non to happy however.

Sakura had been running for thirty minutes when she decided to turn around. She would take her usual route back home which would take up another forty minutes. Sakura smiled. She loved to run. In fact she loved to do anything that was challenging but running was one of her favorite hobbies. Once she got into the zone and drowned in her music she would just feel so relaxed. It was amazing and exhilarating. She was actually enjoying herself while listening to "Calm before the storm" by the Fall Out Boys when her dream came back to her.

Sakura gritted her teeth and turned her music up as high as she could play it. She took a sharp turn through a dark alley and realized she couldn't drown out the nightmare this time. That same dream it just wouldn't stop coming back. Sakura shook her head fiercely. It was a lie.

"Lie!" She whispered harshly to herself and broke into a fast sprint. As she began to run out of breathe the thoughts of the nightmare disappeared. She was panting heavily and her body was covered in sweat. Her legs began to feel numb after sprinting for fifteen minutes, but she wouldn't stop. She couldn't. If she did it would all catch up and her life already sucked enough. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and tried to relax she took a deep breathe and opened her eyes. She realized she was home and stopped. She walked slowly to a tree a few feet away from her window. She easily maneuvered her way up the tree and jumped from one of the branches to her window. She climbed in and shut the window behind her.

Now it was 6:15 and the sun was up. Sakura could easily make out the surroundings in her room. She could see her unmade bed. The light pink sheets were messy and drenched in sweat from her earlier nightmare. She would have to clean them today. Her floor was made of wood and the only thing taking up space besides her bed was a small three drawer wooden dresser. She knew that she had a gun and a pocket knife hidden under her panties in the top drawer and gritted her teeth as the dream attempted to come back. She threw her I pod on the bed and walked through a doorway that leads to her bathroom. Unfortunately the dresser was on the same wall as the doorway and Sakura visibly flinched as she passed it.

She was in her bathroom now, though. The only thing better then running was taking a nice hot shower. Sakura turned the facet knob as far to the right as possible making sure the water would be scolding hot; just the way she liked it. Sakura pulled her running shirt off and let it fall to the floor. She moved her hands to the back to unclip her bra and let that fall to the floor. She pulled off her training shorts and light pink panties exposing herself to the full body mirror in front of her. She observed herself.

Sakura was never one for looks. She was very pretty but she didn't really notice or care for the matter. She focused on running and training so much because it relieved her from reality if only for a short time just like hot showers did. She never took note that all the training and sweating actually gave her a very gorgeous body.

Sakura frowned at the thought as she inspected her perfect legs in the mirror. She knew that if anyone at her high school saw her body she would be the most popular girl in school. She would hate it. She wouldn't hate being the most popular girl in school she didn't care for her status either way but she would hate the fake admiration and friendship and heaven forbid love. She would go even more insane then she already was.

Sakura snorted in disgust and left the mirror and walked into her shower. She pulled the almost see-through shower curtain to cover herself. She let the water hit her body and it stung horribly at first. It was like little pellets hitting her skin and leaving behind red marks. She turned around to get her hair wet and arched her back in pain. Within a few seconds maybe even a minute she had adapted to the stinging hot water and was rubbing shampoo and conditioner through her shoulder length pink locks. She washed herself and for ten minutes just stood letting the hot water take her away into a blissful state. She soon remembered the time however and knew it wouldn't be punctual to be late for her first day of sophomore year at Konoha Firestone Academy. It was the same school she attended last year and she laughed knowing no one would realize she was gone accept for the teachers role call book.

Sakura moved the curtain once more and stepped out of her shower. She grabbed a towel and dried herself off. She walked over to the mirror to inspect her body once more and smirked when she saw that her usual creamy skin was a rosy red color now. She walked over to her sink and brushed her teeth quickly. She washed her face even faster after having seen the time. She decided to let her hair air dry since it did so quickly and walked back into her room.

Sakura walked hastily over to the closet and put on her bra and panties. She picked out a blood red shirt that had Korn written on it in black letters and a black jacket. She was aware that it was the middle of August but she couldn't let people see her scar. They might ask questions and the truth was she didn't have answers. She tried not to dwell on that thought afraid her nightmare would return so instead she pulled on her baggy black jeans and slipped her feet into her black boots. She grabbed her I pod off her bed and her back pack from out of her closet. She checked the clock again and realized it was already seven. She had fifteen minutes to get to school. She used her door this time and walked down the stairs in a slight rush. She grabbed her bike off of the bike rack, jumped on, and with that was off to school while listening to Somebody, Someone by Korn.


	3. The rules and breaking them Pt1

Sasuke stepped out of his car wearing nice blue jeans and a midnight blue T-shirt with an expensive black jacket over it. The jacket was unbuttoned and the sleeves were rolled up. He had on his favorite sunglasses too. He must look twice as hot today he thought to himself as he stepped out of the car and could already see the rushing mob of fan girls coming for him. He rolled his eyes at their stupidity. Which of these sluts would he take with him today. He started looking around and saw a hot red head with glasses. She had on a short white miniskirt and a red tube top with red high heels. She would do. He nodded at her and in a second she was at his side. She knew the rules apparently. She grabbed his hand and let him lead the way to 'The Fountain'. The Fountain was the place where only popular kids could hang out. It was a huge water fountain right in front of the cherry blossom trees.

The rule was that Uchiha Sasuke would pick a hot girl every morning to join him at the fountain. There were three reasons girls followed him shamelessly everywhere he went and kissed the ground he walked on. One was that they wanted a seat at the Fountain, even if it was just for that morning. Two they wanted to get with Uchiha Sasuke, the most popular guy in school. The last reason was because Uchiha Sasuke was one out of two of the last single and datable guys that had a spot at the fountain. Kiba, the other popular guy, was free as well and got almost as many girls as Sasuke.

'Tch. Almost.' Sasuke thought proudly to himself as he walked off holding the red head around the waist. He walked through the mob of girls and eventually made it to the fountain where it was quiet and peaceful. Karin wouldn't take her eyes off of him and he was starting to regret his choice. Hopefully she would be easy and he could have some fun later.

He looked around The Fountain and saw Naruto eating some Ramen which Hinata had probably made for him. Naruto was Sasuke's one and only best friend and the second most popular guy in school but he was taken by Hinata. Naruto had blonde spiky hair and bright blue eyes. Sasuke couldn't begin to understand how he was popular with his choice of fashion. He was wearing blue jeans and a bright orange shirt that would make some go color blind.

Sasuke saw Neji and TenTen sitting next to each other on the rim of the fountain. Neji was listening as his girlfriend talked. Neji was third in the ranking. He had long brown hair that he kept in a ponytail and unusual pupiless eyes. He wore a plain white shirt with a black jacket over it. His jacket was zipped up and his sleeves were down.

Sasuke then looked for his annoying ex girlfriend. Her name was Ino and she was the hottest girl he had ever seen but she was the most annoying bitch in the world. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes and was gifted in the chest area not to mention she was already very curvy. Right now she was wearing a short denim skirt and a purple tank top. She had kicked off her purple high heels when she climbed on top of her boyfriend who was sleeping on the grass. His name was Shikamaru and he was ranked fourth. He had spiky black hair and brown eyes. His skin was tan and looked even darker since he was wearing a forest green T-shirt.

Sasuke looked around for the last member of the popular clique: Kiba. He looked at Neji questioningly.

"He still hasn't gotten here yet. Wait. I see his motorcycle never mind." Neji said. Sasuke turned around and in the distance he could see Kiba's motorcycle just pulling up. Already there was a herd of girls forming. They were all hoping to get picked to go to the fountain. Kiba got off his bike and laughed eyeing all the girls hungrily. Sasuke was sure his friend would be a rapist when he grew up. Sasuke decided to go and get Kiba to hurry up. He pulled Karin along with him and she just latched herself tighter to his arm. Sasuke rolled his eyes in clear disgust and annoyance. She had better be good in bed. Sasuke thought aggravated as he pushed his way through the fan girls.

Kiba saw him and nodded. He was just about to pick when some freak who was pushing through the herd of fan girls fell and fell right on top of him. It all got very quiet.

Sasuke smirked. It was a loser Goth. She didn't even dress right. She was wearing baggy pants and a T- shirt and jacket. She must be stupid. She would be a social outcast now that she had bumped into a popular guy. Kiba stood up and Sasuke was shocked when he reached his hand out to help the freaky girl up. Apparently everyone else was shocked too. The gasps couldn't be kept quite when she smacked his hand away and stood up on her own. Sasuke looked at her curiously and noted that she had died her hair pink; an unusual color for a Goth.

The girl walked away quietly without saying a word. Sasuke's mouth dropped when he saw where she was going. She was walking right towards The Fountain. Sasuke walked off leaving both Karin and Kiba behind in the mess of shocked fan girls. Kiba decided to try and get out to talk to the girl but was attacked by the fan girls the second he moved. Everything went back to normal except for Sasuke.

Sasuke stormed over to the pink haired Goth. She hadn't even noticed him when he was right behind her. He saw the wires coming from her eyes and realized she was listening to music. He roughly pulled the wire and was completely shocked to see her turning around sharply fist flying for his face. If it wasn't for his fighting ability he wouldn't have been able to grab her fist and protect himself. Even when he grabbed her fist and stopped her blow he still felt the impact and realized she was strong. His eyes widened and he realized that her leg was zooming to his side. He let go of her fist and jumped back away from her.

"Look Asshole, I don't know what you want but you better leave me the fuck alone. Got it?" Sakura said furrowing her eyebrows in frustration.

Sasuke looked at her like she was crazy then his Uchiha blood began to boil and that was it. He was done messing around.

"Listen up you crazy bitch, this is the popular hang out and you aren't aloud over hear. You better turn around and walk away unless you want to get fucking killed." Sasuke said putting his hand in his pocket. Sakura just smirked.

"Fine by me." Sakura turned around and began walking…right towards the Fountain.

Sasuke looked shocked that he had said something so stupid. He walked up behind her and grabbed her shoulder in an iron grip. He dug his fingers into her collar bone and spun her around simultaneously pulling his pocket knife out of his pocket. He pulled Sakura closer to him and pointed the knife right at her stomach. They were only a knife apart and Sasuke could feel the anger coming from her.

"Do it." She smirked and Sasuke looked at her like she was crazy. She had to be bluffing.

"In this world you only have one shot, loser. If you don't take it someone else will and you'll be left standing there alone or maybe you'll be lucky and you'll be dead. Now do it." She said. Sasuke didn't move mainly out of shock.

"If you won't I will." With that she pulled her own knife out of her pants pocket. She used it to cut his hand and he dropped his knife. She turned again and walked away. He stared at her and then at his knife on the ground and unbloodied. Then he looked at the cut on the back of his hand. It was bleeding but he knew he wouldn't need stitches. She was giving him a choice now. He could rat her out and show the school the cut or he could leave it be and let her get away. He was Uchiha Sasuke though. He couldn't chicken out like that and rat her out. She wanted to fight and that was a new thing to find in a girl. He accepted her challenge.


	4. Breaking the rules Pt2

Sakura walked right past the popular kids who were sitting at The Fountain. She saw them all gaping at her and just closed her eyes and kept walking. She was only a few feet behind The Fountain when she decided to take a seat under a beautiful Cherry Blossom Tree. She leaned her back against the bark and pulled one knee up to her chest. She let her other leg stretch out some since it was still tight from her run this morning. She readjusted her earplugs and turned her music back on. She smirked when she looked over at the popular kids who were all still gaping at her like she was a retard. She wasn't the one sitting there with her mouth open like an idiot.

She let her head fall back against the bark and closed her eyes as she tried to relax. She had just about zoned out when she could hear the faint sound of the bell ring. She didn't bother to turn her music off as she stood up and walked towards the school building. She thought that this was really a good hang out spot because the side door to the school was just past The Fountain. No one every used the side door so there wouldn't be any commotion. Sakura smirked. She would be sitting in her new spot for a long time.

Sakura had already passed up the Fountain and watched as the bitches and bastards stared her down like she really was an idiot. She couldn't help but wonder why they weren't moving but decided she didn't care enough to ask so she just kept walking right into the school building. She almost burst out in laughter when she realized that her homeroom was the first classroom from the side door. Yeah she had found the perfect hang out spot.

Sakura walked into her homeroom and took a seat all the way in the back she was starting to wonder why none of the students were coming in after she heard the late bell ring. She sat there alone in the classroom for another five minutes before turning her music on and pulling out a her schedule. Homeroom ended in ten minutes. Where was everyone?

Sakura was pissed when the bell rang telling her it was time for first period. She almost died when she looked at her schedule and saw that first period was in the very same room and with the very same teacher who still wasn't here. Then again the students weren't here either. Sakura sat listening to her music until the late bell rang again. Ten minutes after that she was beginning to wonder if she had done something wrong. She stood up and walked down the steps of each isle until she was on the ground floor. Then she turned and walked out the door intending to go to the office and ask why there was no teacher or students in her room.

"Hey where are you going? You're going to be late." Some girl yelled. Sakura looked around and saw the popular kids coming from the side door. She rolled her eyes as she turned off her music. They were already late.

"What are you talking about? Class started like ten minutes ago." Sakura said slightly pissed because she felt stupid. She must have missed some memo.

"Wow. You are way out of the loop. You must have never have had Kakashi before." A girl with brown hair in two buns said. She was wearing shorts that weren't too short but still complemented her. She had on a tank top that said 'anything guys can do Girls _have done _better.' She seemed okay so far for a brat at least.

"That's the teacher's name? Good because I'm going tell the office that I did not get forced to come to this school to sit around in an empty classroom." Sakura yelled more to herself then the group. She wasn't used to having someone to talk to so she didn't realize she should have watched what she said.

Sakura saw the asshole from earlier smirk obviously liking her way out of the loop.

"No you can't tell the office. We like him being late. See he is always this late. You get to sit outside and hang out with your friends longer then anyone else if you have him. We were way lucky we got him as homeroom and first period." The girl explained.

Sakura let her mouth form on 'o'. That was why they thought she was an idiot for going in so early. She shrugged.

"Well he better get here soon." Sakura said turning around to walk back into the classroom. They were staring at her again and she couldn't help but wonder what she did wrong now.

"Bitch. You are so rude." One of the girls said. Sakura turned around and realized who had said it. She was nothing but a blonde slut.

"At least I'm not a slut." Sakura said as she kept walking right up the stairs and past the isles until she was in the very back one. They all followed her up and she flinched when she felt Sasuke's presence next to her. Sakura was happy she sat by the window so she would only have to sit by one of these monsters.

Sakura turned her I pod back on and changed the song to Pedestal by Fergie. She started nodding her head to the music and didn't stop when Sasuke looked over to her and raised an eyebrow. She knew what he was thinking right away. 'Why are you wearing a Korn shirt and listening to Fergie?' Sakura would admit it was a little strange but she had a very wide variety when it came to music. She usually only listened to heavy stuff like Korn when her mind would start to spin and her nightmares came back to haunt her. It helped her to drown out her own screaming voice. Sasuke was about to comment and Sakura saw this so she started to sing the words out loud.

"Who are you and what do you do that makes you think you're above me, but have you walked in my shoes? The pedestal you put yourself on…Well since im breaking it down now it's going to collapse and be gone." Sakura said and smirked at Sasuke's surprised face. She couldn't decided if he was shocked a Goth had such a soft angelic voice or if he was stunned that the very words to the song answered his question before he even asked it.

He shook his head in a disapproving manner and furrowed his eyebrows as he turned the other way to talk to Naruto, who was sitting on his left. Sakura just blared the music and waited as the rest of the kids came into the classroom. They all stared at her like she was crazy but she flat out ignored them and when one girl mouthed out bitch she flipped her off.

It was at least another ten minutes before Kakashi came in the classroom and pointed to Sakura and then to his own ear. Sakura understood and turned her I pod off.

"Alright class. It's the first day and I don't want to deal with you so we are starting a project. You will be put into groups of three. Just go down the rows accordingly starting with Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto as group one." Kakashi said. Sasuke frowned and folded his arms in a very childish manner. Naruto jumped for joy and Sakura just furrowed her eyebrows and looked out the window she was sitting by. She was always bad with group stuff. She usually just bailed out and let the rest of her group do the work. They usually didn't have a problem with it because they didn't want to hang out with her. She smirked Sasuke hated her and would never work with her. This was actually a good group.

Sakura was sad to say that she had all of her classes with Sasuke. She luckily only had two classes with Ino because Sakura was a genius and was in all honors while Ino was only in two honors classes. Sakura smirked at that. Ino was just a dumb slutty blonde. No problem there. Those were really the only two people she hated: Ino and Sasuke. Besides that she really just disliked or didn't care about the other students in her classes.

She had already been to four of her classes and it was time for Lunch. Sakura remembered last years lunches and flinched. She always sat alone. No matter this year she was a sophomore and she could go anywhere she wanted on campus. She would eat her lunch quickly and head for the gym to train. Sakura walked into the cafeteria and snorted when she realized she had gotten there earlier and there were only a few kids there including the popular clique.

Sakura snorted as she passed the cleanest table in the cafeteria located right in the middle. Of course it was where Sasuke and his gang sat. Sakura rolled her eyes and just kept walking.

"Bitch." Ino called.

"Slut." Sakura said while she flipped her off without even turning around.

"Ino, you shouldn't be so mean to her. She doesn't have any friends. In fact we should invite her to sit with us." A blonde kid said. He probably only intended his group to hear but he was a loud mouthed idiot and Sakura heard him loud and clear. Her blood grew hot and she turned around and walked over to the table. She got right into the kids face.

"Listen up you little prick, the only reason I don't have friends is cuz they are nothing but a bunch of fucking back stabbing fakes. I would bet a million fucking dollars that anyone one of these liars would let you die before themselves." Sakura screamed pissed that this boy really thought she didn't have friends because she couldn't. She could make friends if she wanted to. She just chose to be independent instead. Naruto looked down letting his bangs cover his face and it all got very quiet. He looked up and his blue eyes were shining with determination.

"Would you die for me Sakura chan?" He asked. Sakura flinched in disgust at the nickname.

"Would you die for me, baka?" She spat. He nodded.

"I think you're a good person. You're just lost in the darkness right now and I'd do anything to get you out." The boy said smiling at her. Sakura took a step back in alarm.

"Lair!" She spat through clenched teeth.

"You think? Why don't you sit with us?" Naruto asked and Sasuke looked at him completely thrown back.

"No!" He said. Sakura looked at him and smiled almost happy the world was falling back into its hell whole state. At least when everything was screwed up you knew what to expect: pain and hurt. That was much more reassuring then Naruto's happy unpredictable world.

"See, I told you. Naruto, this world isn't a happy go lucky place. You're just lucky you're to bliss to see the truth: in this world it's everybody for themselves." Sakura said smirking that she was in control of the conversation: that she was right.

"That's not true, Sakura chan. I'll prove it to you." Naruto said smiling even wider.

"Go ahead and try." Sakura sighed in exasperation. This guy was persistent. Naruto got up and walked over to the table in the corner where Sakura was going to sit. He put his tray on the table and sat down. He looked up at her and beckoned her to come and sit. Everybody just stared at him amazed.

"Come and sit with me Sakura chan!" Naruto called. Sakura shook her head disapprovingly and walked over to sit by him.


	5. Sasuke's plan is put into action

Sasuke just stared at Naruto and Sakura like they had both lost their minds. He really didn't want his best friend to sit over there but he couldn't stand to sit anywhere near that crazy bitch. She thought she knew everything. She thought she had this world pegged and everyone else in it too. Maybe he should show her how wrong she was about him. Sasuke began to think of a great plan and smirked.

"What are you smirking about Uchiha? Now Naruto has to sit over there with Sakura? Why didn't you just let her sit with us?" Kiba raised his voice and the Uchiha furrowed his eyebrows in dissatisfaction.

"Shut up dog boy unless you want to sit over there with them." Sasuke said and Kiba immediately shut his mouth. That's when Sasuke remembered this morning and decided to have a little fun with the bag of fleas.

"So why was it you were being so nice to her anyway, Kiba? You have a soft spot for her?" Sasuke taunted. Kiba growled and looked away a slight blush on his cheeks. Sasuke smirked.

"I don't see what you're so worried about Kiba? She's just a bitch and when Naruto finds that out he will come crying back to us." Ino said folding her arms across her chest.

"A-actually I think N-Naruto was r-right about her." Hinata said timidly as she played with her fingers.

"Hinata are you falling for it too. She is just a fucking bitch I promise you." Ino almost yelled.

"I don't know Ino. We don't know anything about her, maybe we should try and figure out why she acts the way she does." TenTen said.

"Maybe because she's a bitch and that's how she's always been: fucked up." Ino said. TenTen was starting to get mad at Ino's negative attitude.

"Oh you mean like you?" TenTen said rolling her eyes. Ino almost jumped out of her chair but Shikamaru grabbed her arms and pulled her back down.

"You stupid…" Ino started but Neji glared at her and cut her off.

"Watch your mouth Ino. You're only proving Sakura right. If TenTen was your friend you'd listen to her opinions and wouldn't get angry with her so easily." Neji spoke calmly and Ino finally sat down willingly. She folded her arms again and looked the other way a little embarrassed.

TenTen smiled at Neji thankfully and he nodded. Hinata just stayed quite and looked a little scared so Kiba moved to sit next to her and he put his arm over her shoulders comfortingly.

"You are all just being stupid. You're making this a big deal when it's not. If Naruto comes back then great and if he doesn't then oh well. Just don't go anywhere near Sakura and I could care less what you do. That's the end of this subject." Sasuke said closing his eyes and ignoring the many emotion flying across the table.

TenTen looked a little unsure and Neji was calm as ever. Hinata looked extremely unsure and Kiba was glaring at Sasuke. Ino seemed satisfied and Shikamaru was sleeping again. Sasuke could care less what his friends thought though. He just wanted to hate Sakura Haruno in peace. He was already planning how to make her life a living hell. The first step was now in progress: make sure no one went anywhere near her. Naruto was only a minor set back that could be fixed if necessary. Sasuke could convince him that Sakura wasn't a good person if he wanted to. Now that he had the cut on his hand it would be easy. That cut would stay there for at least a week and that was all the time he needed to destroy Haruno Sakura.


	6. The new solution

Sakura looked over at the group of popular kids sitting at the center table. They seemed to be fighting over something. She let her gaze land on Naruto who was also looking at the center table with narrowed eyes as if pained or worried. Sakura rolled her eyes. He was pathetic. What did he think he would prove? He should have given up the minute she told him his friends were fake. He should have realized they wouldn't come with him just because they trusted him. They probably didn't. They probably thought he was pathetic just the same as Sakura. He was just being so fucking persistent. Sakura grit her teeth and furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't plan on making this any easier for him.

"What's the matter Sakura chan?" Naruto asked worriedly without even taking his eyes from the center table. Sakura folded her arms on the table and put her head down. She thought twice of this and picked her head up again.

"I was serious when I said I didn't want friends. That includes you too so I don't know what you think you just accomplished." She said putting her head in her folded arms when she was done. She could still hear the blonde's loud voice clearly as he spoke.

"When you said what you said I agreed with you. We didn't always use to be like this. We all used to be friends. We met each other during hard times at young ages and helped each other to survive. We were close and the people I befriended wouldn't have let you walk away from that table. They definitely wouldn't have let me walk away." He said sadly. Sakura could hear the hurt in his voice and for some reason it hurt her as well though. She furrowed her eyebrows in frustration and picked her head up to speak.

"Then they aren't the people you used to be friends with. Move on and find a new group of fools to hang out with. I aint going to be any better then them." Sakura spat as she finally looked at the blonde for a reaction. He just kept his gaze on the center table.

"See that's where you are wrong, Sakura chan. Friends help each other through hard times and that's all this is. It is just a very hard time for them and I will help them through it." Now he looked down at her not with pity but fondness. "And I will help you too." He said giving her a beautiful smile. Sakura just kept her lips in a thin line and buried her face in her arms. She didn't understand him one bit. She wasn't his friend. How did she even get thrown into this mess?

"Look I'm not your friend and I don't need help but if you want to waste your time following me around then be my guest but I'm going to the workout room so you would have to stop staring at those bastards over there and come with me." Sakura said rolling her eyes and standing up. She hadn't even eaten her lunch. She felt a headache coming on and was more then ready to get out to the gym and try and work it away. Naruto looked at her and then back at his friends.

"I'll meet you there Sakura chan." He said sadly and she knew he planned on running back to his friend and ditching her. She grit her teeth but held back a retort. It was better this way. It was better he just left. Sakura couldn't believe she actually thought for a second he would choose her over them willingly. This was why she liked her hell whole. It was predictable. She knew everything was going to hurt so she didn't even let it close but this boy had to go and be mister save the day and fuck her peaceful living death up. He couldn't just stay the fuck away?! Sakura turned around sharply and walk to the door turning her I pod on. She started to blare Just Like You by Linkin Park. Slowly her anger started to melt away into the music and she took a deep breathe as she exited the cafeteria.

She walked down the hall past the girl's bathroom and was only a few feet away from the door leading to the gym when her world had to get fucked up again. She saw smoke coming from under the boy's bathroom door and stopped in her tracks: staring. Sakura knew what it was and she couldn't decided whether she wanted to barge in there and tell them to stop or go in there and demand her share of it. Sakura shook her head and knew that she should just ignore it if she knew what was best for her. Sakura took another step and one more and then she passed the door. Now it was behind her but so was a voice.

"Hey why don't you come here?" A man asked and Sakura just kept walking.

"I know you've been through a lot. I can tell by your attitude. Why don't you just come over hear? We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." This time it was another man's voice. His voice stopped Sakura where she stood. His voice was comforting and soothing and seductive. She had never felt attracted to anyone before and had to say she liked the feeling. She turned around slowly and looked at the two men behind her. One of them was sickly pale and almost looked blue. He had small black eyes and white sparkling teeth.

Sakura knew it wasn't him who had soothed her but the gorgeous man next to him. He was pale in skin tone but he looked fair. He had long onyx hair tied into a ponytail and onyx orbs that seemed to see right through her: into her very being. He smirked at her and she thought her heart stopped. She took a tentative step towards them and then he opened the boy's bathroom door. He walked in with the other man and Sakura knew she was meant to follow and so she did.

Sakura walked into the smoke filled bathroom and saw there were a few guys smoking towards the back, leaning against stalls. One guy was trying to be cool as he leaned against a urinal. He was smoking too. Sakura cringed. This was disgusting. She felt bile rise in her throat and she started choking. One of the men laughed at her and a few others just smirked. Most of them were too high to even notice. Three were crowded around a bag with white stuff in it and Sakura knew it was a drug but couldn't place her finger on which one.

She lived at home alone at fifteen and was Goth. Her life was pretty screwed up but never once did turning to drugs cross her mind. She looked around for the two men who had invited her in and she saw them instantly in the small bathroom. The sickly pale one was sitting on the sink a needle being injected into his arm by his on hand. Sakura cringed almost feeling the pain herself. She looked over at the onyx eyed man she had been captivated by and frowned when she saw him getting ready to inject the needle into his arm. She knew what that was: heroine.

Sakura watched horrified as her crush injected the needle ever so slowly into his arm and then slower even pulled it out. He looked up at her and signaled for her to come to him. Suddenly curiosity perked Sakura's brain. Maybe drugs weren't such a bad idea. Maybe she would try them. It wouldn't kill her to just try them. She had strong will power: she wouldn't get addicted from just one try.

"I…I want to try them." She stammered trying to sound determined. The bluish guy smirked at her and her crush simply shook his head. He pulled an orange medicine bottle out of his pocket and threw it to her. She caught it and saw that the white sticker that was supposed to have an addressed name had been torn off. Inside the bottle were four pills. Sakura looked at the man curiously.

"You can't just mess around with Heroine. It's serious stuff. Try that first." He said monotonously. Sakura wondered where the soothing voice had gone and realized the Heroine had taken it away. She looked at the blue man still sitting on the sink.

"Just hope that doesn't fuck you up to bad." The man said. Sakura nodded and carefully opened the bottle. Her hand trembled as she poured the four pills onto her palm and looked at them frightened. Did she really want to do this?

"What are your names?" Sakura asked furrowing her eyebrows. It was her crush who replied first.

"Mine is Itachi and that is Kisame. Take the pills or leave." He said nonchalantly again. He smirked as Sakura brought the pills to her mouth and downed them. Sakura didn't feel the effects immediately but knew she liked this new habit when her head cleared just like while running or being in scolding water. Everything was so fuzzy that nothing mattered and soon even her senses were fuzzy. She started to see things in blurs and she couldn't hear very clearly either. She liked it though. She was too disheveled to think of her nightmare or of Naruto or Sasuke. It was just like when she ran or took a hot shower except even more extreme. Way more extreme but the same concept: escaping reality.

She felt dizzy and leaned against the boy's bathroom wall smiling goofily. Her eyes closed for a second and when she opened them everything was hazy. She could still make out the shapes of Itachi and Kisame but she couldn't talk. She had lost complete control of her body and she let herself slide down the wall onto the floor. She had her knees up to her chest and decided mentally that this was enough. She wanted to come back now. She couldn't though. She wanted to go back to reality now! She can't though. Her senses wouldn't clear. Finally anger rose up in her like a storm and she could feel her body heat up as she clenched her fist and furrowed her eyebrows in anger.

She wanted this to stop now. She stood up again and leaned against the wall. She arched her back in frustration as she lost control even more. She pounded her fist on the wall and started panting. She saw Itachi's smirk and soon calmed down. Her senses were clearing now. Her vision was coming back. She could hear everything again. Now her senses were back she just wasn't processing anything. She wasn't thinking just living. This she wanted. She could stay like this forever. She was in control but not in pain. She sighed as she looked at Itachi blankly. He smirked.

"Like it?" He asked and Sakura just shrugged. This made Itachi's smirk grow even wider and it was Kisame to speak next.

"She has to get out of here. If that blonde punk finds her in here with us he is definitely going to rat us out." Kisame hissed in anger. Sakura just stared at both of them blankly not giving a fuck what they were telling each other. Itachi grabbed her hand and normally she would have blushed or have done something but due to the drugs all she did was let him pull her towards the door again. He opened the door and roughly yanked her by the wrist out of the bathroom. She just let herself be dragged down the hall by him as they walked into the gym, which was empty since the recess bell had just rung.

Itachi put his each of his hands on her upper arms holding her steady trying to get her to focus.

"If you want more you need to find an excuse to come to Sasuke's apartment. I can pick you up there and bring you to my place where I can give you another dose. Got it?" Sakura moaned as her thoughts began to process and she nodded at him. She wanted to talk to him some more but he was gone in an instant. Sakura rubbed her head. Now her headache was ten times worse. She thought she was going to puke. She stumbled over clumsily to a trash can and that's exactly what she did.

Sakura stood while her head pounded in the gym. She rubbed her temples and decided that she needed to get to class and maybe even go to the nurse and take the day off. She had just vomited so she was sure the nurse would let her go home. Sakura walked over to the other side of the gym where another door was located. This door would lead her outside to the football field. Sakura knew by memory that across the football field was the building where her next class was.

She walked slowly out of the gym and onto the football field. The sun burned bright in the clear blue sky and Sakura just glared up at it. Was the world trying to make her life suck? Sakura just tried her best to ignore the pain and kept walking all the way across the football field. It seemed to take hours for her to make it to the other side and when she finally did Sakura opened the door leading into the building and was some how not surprised to find that her classroom was all the way on the other side.

So Sakura began her excruciating walk down the hallway, moaning in pain and thinking of Itachi's offer. The drug was great for a while but now she wished she would have never taken them but just knowing that the hazy problem free phase would come was enough to make her think long and hard before turning down his offer. After all Itachi was extremely attractive and she wanted to talk to him more anyway. She could stop if she wanted to so there was no need to worry about addiction and what would one more dose do. It certainly wouldn't kill her right. Suddenly Sakura remembered the Heroine needle and began to grow curious about that. It had to be much more extreme then the simple pills she had taken. If that's what the pills did then…

Sakura's thoughts ended when she opened the door to her classroom. She was in far too much pain to think of her manners and knock. She simply walked in and walked up to their teacher who was smoking. Sakura cringed and gave the cigarette a long hard stare. She wondered what that was like. Would it do the same things as the drugs? Her thoughts were interrupted by the teacher.

"Mrs. Haruno right? You're late. Go and take a seat." The teacher she knew as Asuma ordered. He had obviously been in the middle of a lesson because there were a few kids who had been sleeping and were now awake staring at her wondering what was going on. She must look pretty crappy too because she could see the Uchiha bastard smirking at her wildly. Sakura shook her head.

"I have a horrible head ache and I'm going to the nurse. I just stopped by to let you know." She said as she turned to walk out of the door. This must be a homeroom class because she could hear Naruto's worried voice over everyone else's and she grimaced shutting the door as she left.

Who did he think he was fooling? He ditched her for those things he called friends. He didn't give a fuck about her or how she was feeling. Sakura could imagine perfectly Ino's judgmental glare on her as she walked out of the room. She swore she could feel it too. Sakura sighed as she headed to the nurse's office. It didn't matter now. It was time to go home and rest.


	7. Not Alone

I lay sleeping in her bed. It was late at night and I had been ignoring phone calls all day. They hadn't stopped until about an hour ago at eleven thirty. I had immediately turned my lights off and hoped into bed hoping to fall asleep before the calls started again. I had almost accomplished my goal when a knock sounded from the door. That was very odd. I didn't know anyone who would come over to visit: eleven thirty none the less. I got up and walked over to the dresser stealthily. The knock resounded only louder and my heartbeat rapidly sped up. I pulled open the top drawer and saw my gun: a forty five. I gripped the handle and pulled it out of the drawer.

With both hands on the gun and a finger on the trigger, I walked slowly toward the door. Once more the knock sounded. I walked down the hallway and passed up the living room as I tried to calm my heartbeat and steady my breathing. I let go of the gun with one hand took a deep breathe and in one quick motion threw the door open and pointed the gun at the visitors head.

I gasped when Naruto jumped back and landed on his but on the floor outside of my apartment. I sighed and walked back to my room shaking my head in disapproval. I had managed to ward off the headache with an Aspirin and a short nap. Though because of my never ending ringing phone that short nap was the only sleep I had. Now here sat a man I was in no mood to see at my doorstep. Was I ever going to get a break?

"Sakura chan, what do you have a gun for?" Naruto asked shakily and wide eyed as he walked into my apartment. I raised an eyebrow not remembering inviting him in.

"I'm a fifteen year old girl living in an apartment on the wrong side of town by herself. Why do you think I have a gun?" I asked exasperated as I sat on the small couch in my living room. Naruto let his lips form an 'o' as he took a seat on the floor right in front of me.

"Why haven't you been answering your phone? I've been calling you all day." Naruto screamed and I glared at him. I was going to kill him very soon. I stood from my seat on the sofa and had my eyebrows furrowed in frustration when my phone rang. I stared down the hallway in disbelief. I looked at Naruto and he shrugged. I stomped down the hallway and into my room. I grabbed my pink crappy flip phone flipped it open and brought it to my ear.

"What the fuck do you want?!" I screamed into the phone. I turned bright red as Itachi's voice came from the other end.

"Be at Sasuke's apartment for ten o clock tomorrow night." He demanded. His voice was strong but once more held that soothing tone. I nodded and then remembered that he couldn't see me.

"O-okay, Itachi-san." I said and I swore I could here his lips move into a smirk.

"Bye Sakura chan." He said emphasizing the suffix at the end. I blushed madly as I hung up the phone and walked back into the living room, dazed. Naruto jumped to his feet and looked at me suspiciously.

"What's the matter Sakura chan?" He asked and I looked at him trying to think of a way to be at Sasuke's house for ten o clock. Then a light bulb went off in my head and I smirked happily.

"Naruto kun, we should start working on our project. Why don't you and I go to Sasuke's house tomorrow night around nine?" I asked sweetly and Naruto looked a little confused. He cocked his head in a cute manor and even I had to hold back a giggle. I wanted to slap myself for actually thinking he was cute. He was nothing but a loudmouthed Baka.

"Why so late?" Naruto asked and I almost fainted from shock. How could he be so stupid? Well I wouldn't question it since it was in my favor. Naruto really wasn't suspicious of me wanting to go to Sasuke's. What an idiot.

"Well I just thought that would be a good time." Sakura said innocently and Naruto shook his head sadly.

"I have a date with Hinata at nine." He said and then smiled brightly.

"We can still go to Sasuke's house though. I can get ready over there. We would have to be finished by eight forty five though so why don't we meet there at Seven thirty?" Naruto said cheerfully and I nodded leaving my lips to fall into their usual thin line.

"Now get out so I can sleep." I demanded grumpily and he nodded his head with a smile. His stomach grumbled though and he looked at my kitchen and then at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Fine just don't make a mess." I spat as I walked back to my room. I heard his voice from down the hall.

"Sakura chan, I don't know how to cook." He complained and I sighed tiredly. Somehow since sleep was the only thing I wanted it would be the only thing I didn't get tonight. I trudged sleepily down the hall and into the kitchen. I flipped on a light and opened my cabinet. The first thing I saw was instant ramen so I grabbed that. That was one of my best mistakes I have ever made. Who knew food could be so important.

I opened the bag of frozen noodles and put them into a bowl. I poured water from the sink in the bowl and then managed to slide myself over to the microwave. I leaned against the counter as I waited for his meal to cook. He sat in a chair at the table looking at me with his eyebrows furrowed. He obviously wanted to say something but was choosing not to. Out of pure curiosity I resolved to ask him what it was but the beep of the microwave cut into my thoughts. I turned around and opened the microwave door.

I was too tired to think clearly so I stuck my hands in the microwave and grabbed the bowl firmly. In about two seconds I was fully awake letting out a hiss of pain as my hands burned. I quickly pulled them towards me, accidentally dragging the bowl out of it's steady place in the microwave. I jumped back and it spilled all over the floor as the glass bowl made a spine tingling crack and broke into clumps of glass.

I stared at my red hands and the mess on the floor. Next thing I knew Naruto had his hands on my waist and he was ushering me towards the sink wordlessly. He turned on the faucet water and stood behind me. His arms reached out on either side of me and each hand of his grabbed a wrist of mine as he guided my hands slowly and gently under the water.

I just let him control me as I remained shocked and unable to move. He was being so kind. He had ditched me earlier for his friends and now he was being kind. I thought back on today's recess and realized that I hadn't exactly made myself easy to find so he might have just not been able to find me and went to class when the bell rang. That would explain why he was so worried when I walked into the classroom.

I narrowed my eyes and decided I needed to know the truth.

"Naruto, where were you at recess?" I asked suspiciously and he let out a small laugh.

"I could ask you the same thing." He said and my eyes went wide. He had looked for me and I had just disappeared. I had run off to do drugs when someone was looking for me: to help me! I felt a tear form and roll downs my cheek. It was just one tear: the first tear I can remember. Its wet substance on my skin felt almost unnatural. It had never been this way before. I had never cried this way before and now here I am letting that single tear fall and for what? I am not hurt or in pain! What is going on?

I felt his hand let go of my wrist and he turned off the faucet. He reached for a towel and wiped his hands. Now with one strong dry hand he wiped away my tear and then encircled my waist in his strong protective arms. I felt safe and surprised. This was all so knew. I just didn't even know how to react to this so I just didn't react at all. I just stood there while he held my back against his chest and he rested his chin on my shoulder and he whispered in my ear.

"It's okay. I'm here." His voice coed and my reality suddenly changed. Now it wasn't so cruel just different. It was new. Still it was painful but now it just didn't feel as hard to live through. Now it felt like I didn't have to escape reality because it wasn't a prison cell. It felt like home.


	8. New Friends and New Addictions

I had stayed up until about three in the morning talking with Naruto and eating instant ramen. It turned out that he loved instant ramen and ate my entire supply. I had mostly just listened to Naruto tell stories about his past. It turned out that his past was about as bleak as mine. He had grown up as an orphan since birth. His dad had died in the military and his mom just disappeared. He was always picked on at the school orphanage until one day, when he was eight years old, Sasuke showed up. Naruto welcomed Sasuke with open arms and Sasuke flat out refused to be his friend: much like me. Sooner or later Naruto must have said something to Sasuke because they became best friends and always watched out for one another. Now Sasuke lived in his own apartment and Naruto lived with Neji.

Naruto talked a lot about Hinata as well. He told me how they met and how she was always so shy around him and he was stupid and loud. One day she was getting picked on and he stood up for her. He started walking her to their classes and soon he says they became best friends.

What amazed me with Naruto was that not once did he speak of being popular or talking about people badly just because they were different. He was the second most popular guy in school and I was starting to think he didn't even realize it. He really was special.

My thoughts were interrupted as the school bell rang. I had been sitting under the cherry blossom trees again and this time I earned even more stares from the popular clique. At the sound of the bell Naruto ran over to me happily and sat on the ground next to me.

"So are you still coming to Sasuke's house tonight?" He asked excited. I nodded and turned my I pod off in order to give him my attention. He smiled and I just raised an eyebrow.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked curiously. His smile just grew and now I furrowed my eyebrows in annoyance.

"I think I'm growing on you Sakura chan. You like me don't you?" He taunted and I hit him in the side of the head. He rubbed his head and I smirked at him.

"Whatever." I said. He smiled again and I knew he got the message. I didn't deny it because it was true. He was growing on me. I was really starting to love this Baka. Of course, only as a friend. I would never really love him. We were just there for each other. Last night's events came back to me and I smiled. A warming smile that I never knew I had in me.

"Hey I want you to meet someone." He said as he stood up. I watched him stand up and shook my head. There was no way I would actually walk over to those monsters. They could come to me if they really wanted to meet me.

"I am staying right here Naruto." I said turning my I pod on again put only putting one ear plug in. He shrugged and ran off to the Fountain. I rolled my eyes. He was hopeless. He really thought he could get those freaks to accept me. His mistake.

Naruto ran over to his friends and grabbed Hinata's hand.

"Hinata chan, come and meet Sakura chan." He said panting. Hinata smiled at him and nodded.

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows and frowned as he watched another one of his friends go running to her. His plan was not going to work if everyone kept running to her. He grits his teeth and then relaxed. Sasuke took a deep breathe and closed his eye. Well now he would just have to work that much harder for the next part of his plan.

TenTen watched as Hinata and Naruto walked off together to talk to Sakura and quickly turned to see Sasuke's reaction. He looked tense at first: really angry and frustrated but soon he relaxed and she watched his lips turn to a smirk. What was up with him lately? She looked over at Neji but he was calm. He just seemed to be keeping a close eye on his cousin but besides that he didn't seem to care either way. TenTen was sure that if she wanted to talk to Sakura Neji would come with her. She was abou to ask him about it when a thick tension rose in the air. She turned to see Kiba glaring daggers at Sasuke and her mouth fell into an 'o'.

Kiba was boiling inside. Sasuke was being a real asshole about all of this mess. He wanted to talk to Sakura but knew without the 'leader's' approval he would be a social outcast. Now he was fighting with himself for being such a coward. Finally he came to his decision.

"Listen up Uchiha, I want to know what the fuck you think you are doing! First you try and start a fight with her all because she wanted to sit under the cherry blossom trees and then you just let Naruto run off with her and you refuse to let any of us go with him. Now you are letting Hinata go over there and you still aren't doing a damn thing." Kiba yelled taking a step toward Sasuke. Sasuke never even opened his eyes to acknowledge him.

"You can talk to her if you want dog boy. I won't turn the whole school against you but what do you want me to do?" Sasuke asked calmly. Kiba grit his teeth in frustration.

"I want you to talk to her and get this silly little 'war' over with. She just needs friends. And you know what…so do I and obviously I don't have any hear because a real friend wouldn't let us all split up and argue like this." Kiba said glaring at the Uchiha in silence for a few minutes before turning heel and walking away towards Hinata and Naruto.

"Now's a bad time. If you want to stay friends with everyone it's best you wait a little while." Neji whispered in TenTen's ear and she wondered how he always knew what she was going to ask. It was very attractive though. TenTen turned around with a smile on her face and kissed Neji on the lips gently.

Ino stared in shock as yet another one of her friends went to hang out with that pink haired freak. She was losing everyone to her. Ino tightened her fist and balled them up until her knuckles went white. She looked at Sasuke but he avoided her gaze and went back to his deep thinking. TenTen and Neji were making out and her boyfriend was sleeping. She had no one to cry to and she couldn't help but wonder why that was.

I sat up when I saw Hinata and Naruto coming over to me. I quickly turned my I pod off and watched them warily as they both sat down next to me. The Hinata girl smiled and looked away playing with her fingers. She was shy. That was bad. That would mean she would expect me to do the talking. Well, that wasn't going to happen.

"Hinata chan this is Sakura chan. Sakura chan this is Hinata chan. Girlfriend meet best friend. Please no cat fight." Naruto said very slowly. I started to giggle and Hinata looked at me surprised.

"Hinata chan you shouldn't be surprised. You were all way to quick to judge her. She is human you know. She can laugh and be happy." He said wagging his finger at Hinata. I started to giggle even more. Mentally I was killing the blonde for making me do such a stupid thing like giggle but when you were around Naruto happiness just came naturally. I looked over to the popular clique when I heard someone yelling. I watched as the guy I had bumped into yesterday morning came stomping over here angrily. I sighed. What was this blonde loud mouth doing to me?

"Hey, that Sasuke is so pig headed sometimes. I can't believe him!" Kiba yelled more to himself then us and we all just looked at him. Naruto was first to comment on his outburst.

"Sasuke's always been that way and he always will. If we just give him time he'll see the right thing to do and he'll do it." Naruto said and I smiled at him admiringly. He wasn't just a loud mouth. He was the purest thing in this world I knew. He was always so happy and trusting and faithful. Hinata was a lucky girl.

Kiba sat down next to me and smiled. I glared at him and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I don't remember inviting the whole all of you to come and sit with me." I said looking at Kiba and Hinata. Hinata looked away shyly and Kiba just looked me in my eyes and smiled again.

"You didn't have to." He said softly and I felt a warm feeling take over. I was losing control of everything and I hadn't quite decided if that was good or bad yet.

"Besides you didn't invite Naruto and you seem to like having him around." Kiba said playful and I glared in Naruto's direction. Only playfully though.

"He was just to fucking persistent." I said and Naruto smiled proudly giving me the thumbs up. I rolled my eyes and stood up as I heard the late bell for first period ring. The four of us walked through the side doors together. Naruto had grabbed Hinata's hand and they were watching me yell at Kiba for trying to grab my hand. Kiba then wrapped his arm around my waist and I hit him on the side of the head. He rubbed it and made what could have been guessed to be a pouty face. I merely rolled my eyes at him and kept walking. I was making friends and I didn't even want to. These people were forcing me to let them help me and what was I doing? I was lying to them and sneaking to Sasuke's house to get picked up by a stranger to do drugs.

I was throwing it back in their face. Guilt washed over me and I got angry because I had never felt guilty before and I knew that guilt was nothing but obligation to love. I hadn't asked these people to help me. I knew better then to trust so easily. It was their fault. If they got hurt it was all their fault and I shouldn't give a fuck if they think it was my fault. I shouldn't give a fuck what they would think of me taking the pills. If they want to help me so bad they should have just left me alone instead of making me experience this new pain. It was uncontrollable. At that moment I knew the only way to make the pain and unwanted thoughts go away was drugs. I wanted more then just the pills. I wanted the Heroine. I wanted to be completely lost, forever.


	9. gone only for the moment

I had spent the day with my new friends trying to be my regular self. I laughed a few times at something's Naruto and Kiba said and I yelled at Kiba a lot for be an annoying pervert but I often found myself drifting away and thinking about that very same guilty feeling that had been gnawing at me all day. It was like having 'friends' meant that if you did something wrong they would pay the consequences too. That was ridiculous. These people weren't my friends either. Hinata was Naruto's friend. She was only talking to me because Naruto was talking to me. Kiba was a pervert and I am a girl. Enough explained. As for Naruto: He was different. He was exceptional to the rules. I had called him my friend once before I believe but I can't say exactly what he is. He was just special to me.

I turned on my I pod not wanting to think about these confusing things anymore. I had gotten dressed already and was waiting for Naruto and Sasuke to pick me up. They had supposedly gone out with Hinata and some other girl and after they dropped their girlfriends off would come to pick me up. I sighed. Staying in a house with Uchiha Sasuke would be hard enough. Now thanks to Naruto I had to find an excuse to stay there even after Naruto left for his date at nine. Then I would have to sneak out at ten o clock. Actually I don't even think I'm going to sneak out. Sasuke definitely wasn't my friend and I wouldn't feel guilty for going out and doing drugs. It was my turn to get a break. I deserved it.

Besides, even if I told Sasuke he wouldn't care. He didn't give a fuck what I did to settle my nerves. He was most of the cause for riling me up anyway. I turned my I pod up as high as it could go and felt my ear drums pop. I had this twisting knot in my stomach every time I even thought of Sasuke figuring out I was doing drugs. It was driving me crazy but it just wouldn't go away. It almost made me want to cry. It was like he would think I was weak if he saw me doing drugs: if he knew I couldn't handle reality and for some reason I didn't want him to see me as weak. I wanted him to think I was strong and that was becoming a very difficult thing to be.

Sakura heard the faintest sound past the barriers of her blaring I pod and pulled the ear plugs out. She stood up and walked over to her window. She saw Sasuke's Camaro parked by the curb and she narrowed her eyes in anger. She didn't know why but at this time she hated him more then ever. She wanted to kill him in that instant and in another instant that feeling was gone and she was hoping out of her window and onto a sturdy tree branch, jumping down to the next tree branch and then to the ground. She was at his car door in a couple of fast pace strides and he rolled down his window smirking.

"You always have to make such a big exit?" He asked and she rolled her eyes hopping into the back seat. The car vroomed and they sped off to the Uchiha's apartment. Sakura for some reason was just beginning to wonder why Itachi was picking her up there anyway. She was so stupid. Why hadn't she asked herself that before? Sakura felt a lump form in her throat and could only wonder why she was getting this ominous feeling. Something big was going to happen tonight. She was about to start something she didn't know she would make it out of. Sakura for the first time in her life really felt worried. She felt genuinely terrified and she could only wonder why.

Her panic was pushed away as she noticed the Uchiha's eyes in the rearview mirror looking straight at her. She cocked an eyebrow in a badass kind of way and Sasuke snorted as he began to focus on the road again. Soon they were driving into a parking lot and pulling into a reserved parking space. Sakura looked confused on why Sasuke would have a reserved parking space but decided to ignore such a tedious thing.

Sasuke turned off his car and opened his door, stepping out gracefully. Naruto almost tripped out of the car and Sakura was the last one to step out of the car shutting her door and watching as the Uchiha pointed his keys at the car over his shoulder without even looking back. The car blinked and honked and Sakura rolled her eyes at how he just had to look cool. She pushed her hands into her jacket pockets and followed him in between two buildings where a flight of stairs could be found. The three of them walked up the stairs in complete silence and stopped at the third story where Sasuke walked out on to a platform where two doors were located. He walked towards the one on the right and knocked. Sakura looked confused and was about to ask why he was knocking. She wasn't aware he had a roommate.

Sakura was stunned when a gorgeous man opened the door. He was dripping wet and his only attire was a wet towel tied, low, around his waist. He was very muscular and built and the way he held the door frame with his hands to hold himself up told Sakura that he thought he was the coolest thing in the world. He had shoulder length blue hair and stunning blue eyes that made it hard for Sakura to look away. She rolled her eyes as the man smirked at her.

"Like what you see?" He asked giving her a wink. Sakura furrowed her eyes in frustration. He reminded her of a mix between Sasuke and Naruto: obnoxious and arrogant. She couldn't take that all in one person. Sakura flipped him off and he smirked again about to reply but Sasuke cut him off.

"Siugetsu, enough." Sasuke said in a commanding attitude and Sakura looked shocked that he was getting his ass beaten right now. Siugetsu looked at least four years older then they were and he could probably tale Sasuke if he wanted. Sakura almost gaped when Siugetsu nodded and went back inside. Sakura looked into the apartment and gaped when she saw a girl with read hair coming out in nothing but a towel, also dripping wet. Siugetsu walked out of the apartment first making sure to pass in between Sasuke and Sakura on his way out. The girl followed after smiling at Sasuke the entire time and looking him up and down like he was a piece of meat. The two of them walked over to the other door on the third story and went into through that door, arguing about something or another.

This girl had no dignity and Sakura decided quickly that she didn't like her. She walked out of the apartment dripping wet in a towel with this guy named Siugetsu and she was trying to flirt with Sasuke. How pathetic.

Sasuke walked into the apartment and Naruto ushered Sakura in. "Come on Sakura chan!" He shouted and Sakura gave a half smile and walked in with Naruto followed her in. She followed Sasuke down a hallway. The bathroom door was open and steam was slowly exiting the room. They walked only a few feet further and the narrow hallway opened into a large kitchen. On the opposite side of the kitchen a bar stretched out from one of the side walls and reached out to the middle of the room. One the other side of the bar was the living room and Sakura could see a sliding glass door all the way on the other side of the living room. She would guess it led out to a balcony with a beautiful view. Sakura could only wonder, however, why Sasuke lived in such a beautiful apartment.

She knew that he was an orphan so how could he afford to live in such a fancy place? She narrowed her eyes in curiosity but followed Sasuke through the kitchen where he turned the lights on. Then he walked into the living room and turned on a fan and some more lights. He plopped on a couch and threw his feet up on a coffee table. Sakura raised an eyebrow. This was his house but he could be a little less rude. She guessed she could sit so she moved to sit by herself in a chair and they began.

Naruto had been complaining about being hungry for the past thirty minutes while Sasuke had left the room saying he had to take a call. He hadn't come back since then and Sakura could here him laughing and flirting and whispering things incoherent to her. She was getting really pissed because for the first time she was the only one doing any work. She had already written the rough draft of the report and only needed to make a model of an atom.

"Sakura chan I'm starving. Do you think the teme has instant ramen?" Naruto asked and Sakura slammed her pencil on the table furiously. The nerve of that man. He was blowing them off in his own house. Sakura wondered why the hell she didn't want to look weak in front of him: why the fuck did she give a shit what he thought. He was a rude conceited prick. He didn't care about her and all caring about what he thought of her was doing was making her angry. She felt so tired right now and she knew that she needed to do something. She needed to escape and get a hold of herself but she couldn't.

Sakura stormed into his kitchen and threw the cabinet door open letting it make a loud noise as it hit the wall. She smirked when she saw it made a mark. She threw open the next two cabinets and then slammed all three doors shut as hard as she could. She listened for Sasuke's voice and couldn't here it. Perfect. She smirked even wider as she took a few steps towards the fridge and threw that open as well.

By now she was aware of Naruto's shocked face watching her: stunned as he stood silently trying to figure out what to do. It wasn't his attention she wanted though. Sakura roughly slammed the fridge door shut and smirked when it's loud 'boom' echoed through the house. She opened the pantry door and started to rip things from their shelves throwing them on the ground. Sakura just couldn't take it anymore. For some reason this was giving her a rush and she was forgetting all of her worries and angers and she was escaping. She tore the bags and boxes from their neatly ordered places in the pantry and threw them on the floor. She couldn't stop and she didn't see a reason too. Her eyes lit up when her goal was finally met.

Sasuke's room door was thrown open and he stormed out. "What the fuck?!" He yelled keeping the phone to his ear. Sakura continued her rampage too caught up in expressing herself to realize she was losing control. She needed the drugs right now but there was still thirty minutes left. She had to do something to get rid of all of her emotions. The running and hot water just weren't working anymore. She was going insane. These new friends and Sasuke they were all driving her mad. She needed her escape now.

Sakura was too tangled up in her emotions and thoughts to even realize Sasuke throwing his phone onto the sofa and running over to her. She frowned as she felt his arms wrap themselves over her upper arms and across her chest. She started kicking her arms and legs and trying to wiggle free.

"Let the fuck go of me!" She hissed still thrashing around in his strong arms. He kneed her in the back of her knee and her leg buckled. He turned her around and pushed her back into the pantry shelves. He pinned her arms against the shelves as well and glared at her fiercely. Sakura was in to much of an emotional wreck to realize glaring back at him wasn't the best idea.

Sakura felt a pressure on the side of her neck and the last thing she remembered was Sasuke's eyes: they were glaring at her but if she wasn't mistaken she could see worry hidden deep in the black holes. Then everything went black and Sakura had her escape. She was gone but only for the moment.


	10. Getting to know Him

Sakura's eyes fluttered open as blurs of colors became visible. Slowly her eyes became adjusted to the light and she tried to sit up but felt a stiff pain in her neck. She hesitated in her motion but straightened herself up into a sitting position and used one of her hands to massage the throbbing part of her neck. She remembered Sasuke knocking her out but and she remembered why he had done that too. She had, after all, destroyed his kitchen. She couldn't remember, however, what she had been thinking at the time. All of her thoughts just seemed to be jumbled and mixed up and redundant. Trying to sort them out now made her head hurt and her anger rise. Sakura quickly decided it would be best to concentrate on something more productive.

It was then that Sakura remembered why she was even here in the first place and she quickly searched the room for a clock. She sighed in relief when she located a digital clock on the nightstand next to her and it read in red letters: 9: 10. She still had fifty minutes. Sakura looked around the room she was in and assumed it was Sasuke's room. His walls were navy but the wood work and crowning were white. He had polished wooden floors and a very simple and plain navy bed setting. He didn't have a window in his room: only a door to Sakura's right.

Sakura, for some reason, wasn't surprised to find his room spotless and clean. She had taken him as the O.C.D type. She was surprised to find that he had let her stay in his room while she was unconscious and in his bed for that matter. She had not taken him for the compassionate type. Sakura heard his voice out in the hall and she concentrated on ease dropping. Soon she could hear Naruto's voice as well.

"Teme I don't think…" Naruto began to say but Sasuke cut him off.

"I promise you Naruto. She will be okay." He said exasperated. Sakura could almost feel Naruto's worried vibes and she actually felt bad for working him up the way she did. She didn't mean to upset him.

"Dobe, you can trust me with her. She means a lot to you and I won't let anything happen to her." Sasuke said reassuringly and Sakura was shocked to hear him speak with such emotion. Naruto wasn't exaggerating when he said they were close. She couldn't imagine Sasuke speaking to anyone else in that manner.

"Okay Sasuke. I'll go." Naruto said defeated but Sakura heard his foot steps and soon heard the front door open and then close after only a few seconds. Sakura could hear Sasuke's footsteps and she forced herself back into a sleeping position, ignoring the stiffness in her protesting neck. She could pretend to be unconscious until ten o clock and then she could wake p and say she was going home. It would be perfect. She closed her eyes and listened as she heard the room door open and Sasuke walk in. She heard him close the door and then his footsteps were heard as he walked over to the bed. For some reason Sakura could feel her heart beat speed up and she wanted to hurt herself for acting so childishly. She couldn't help but let her heat pound, however, when she felt the end of the bed move and knew he had taken his seat there.

"I know you're awake." She heard his voice say and she tried her hardest not to gasp. How did he know? Sakura pushed herself back up into a sitting position and let herself wince at the pain in her neck. He didn't say a word or make a move. The room was silent as the grave and still as the dead and the only sound that could be heard was the beep of the clock switching from minute to minute as it reached nine fifteen. That was when Sakura decided to break the ill quiet.

"I'm sorry." She tried to say it loud and clear almost nonchalantly but the lack of use of her voice made her tone come out in a quiet rasp. She felt her cheeks heat up and looked away but there was no reason to because the Uchiha sitting at her feet had not even spared her a glance.

"He cares about you a lot: the dobe. I don't know why. It's always just been me and him and of course he would meet knew people and I would hang out with them too but you…" Sasuke paused and furrowed his eyebrows in a pained expression. Sakura was shocked to see him letting her see him like this: hurt. Then he looked frustrated and confused and Sakura relaxed knowing he would go back to his normal self. He didn't and he never would now. The worse part was that it was all her fault.

"You mean so much to him. You almost mean as much to him as I mean to him. He really cares about what happens to you and that means I have to care about you to!" He yelled and Sakura flinched but smirked. He was the one losing control now. He was going to do something stupid and she wouldn't be the only one hear going insane. To her surprise though he calmed down again and that made her mad. It seemed as though one of them was always going to hate the other. They would never be at peace with each other and that was because they would never be at peace with themselves.

"You don't have to care about me! I don't want you to care about me you selfish fuck!" Sakura spat back at him and he narrowed his eyes in anger.

"Naruto would die if something happened to you and I can't watch him go through that." Sasuke said with attitude more then blind aggression. Sakura was even more enraged since he was managing to stay so calm.

"You don't care about him and you know it! If you had to choose who would live between the two of you he wouldn't walk out alive!" Sakura yelled gripping the sheets with her curled fists. Sasuke seemed to calm down even more. In fact he even smirked.

"You're right." He stated simply and Sakura looked at him confused.

"What?" She stammered panting slightly from yelling earlier. He finally looked at her and she almost drowned in his coal black eyes. He looked serene and almost happy and Sakura couldn't figure out why. He was telling her she was right: he didn't care about Naruto enough to die for him so why was he so happy?

"You're right." He stated simply again and then sighed looking away once more. He closed his eyes and every muscle in his body seemed to be relaxed. He seemed so at ease right now and Sakura was just trying to figure out why he wasn't angry. Why he wasn't mad.

"He wouldn't walk out alive because he wouldn't let me die for him. That stupid dobe would stay behind to help me even if it meant he would die." Sasuke said pausing to look Sakura in the eyes again. She let her mouth form an 'o' because she was too preoccupied trying to process what the Uchiha was talking about.

"And with the two of us together nothing can tear us apart." Sasuke said with his eyes shining. Sakura knew right then that like Naruto, Sasuke was an exception to her rules: her stereotyping. He was different and he was special. One day he might even be special to her if he wasn't already that is.

Sakura felt her anger die down and she finally came to her senses enough to ask a question that had been plaguing her mind.

"Sasuke, I have a question for you." She said tentatively, not sure if she should ask. What harm could it do just to ask though? Sasuke nodded and looked back at the ground. Sakura was aware she had his attention though and she let her confidence build for a few seconds.

"Do you know anyone by the name of Itachi?" She asked curiously and watched him grimace. His caring eyes had turned up at the ends and his eyebrows furrowed. His lips fell to a frown and she could feel his whole body tense. He obviously knew Itachi and he obviously didn't approve. The room was silent for a while but soon Sakura got her answer.

"I'm sure the dobe told you I was an orphan." Sasuke stated still not looking at Sakura. She nodded though and he continued. "Itachi is…He's my parents' son." Sasuke said unsurely and Sakura furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"That would make him your brother, Sasuke." Sakura said prodding him for a reason for not using the word brother. She got her answer when he turned to look at her: cold eyes burning into hers: hatred coming from his very being. He looked ready to kill and Sakura thought for a second he would.

"He is not my brother. That murderous fuck could never be my brother." Sasuke hissed and Sakura flinched. She nodded and then looked at him with sympathy.

"What happened?" She asked curiously. She wouldn't give him her pity. That was the last thing he wanted: she knew. The last thing she wanted was for people to pity her because she was an orphan. She had raised herself and supported herself and she did a damn good job. Sasuke did as well and he didn't need her pity. There was nothing wrong with him to pity.

"He was always very distant. He never really treated me like a brother. My parents adored him for some reason but…" Sasuke trailed off and Sakura could tell he was trying hard to fight off unwanted memories and painful thoughts. She stayed silent and kept a blank look on her face waiting to see what had happened between her new escape guide and her new…special person.

"He was high." Sasuke forced the words out in a rush and his eyes glazed over in pain but anger was the only thing he showed with his body language. He tightened his arms which were bare thanks to the shirt he wore: its sleeves had been ripped off.

"I was eight. He was thirteen." Sasuke managed to say and only to a second before continuing. "I was out that night. I got in a fight with my dad and ran away." Sasuke said curling his fist until his knuckles turned white.

"I came home and all the lights were off. I ran into my house and…" He stopped and Sakura could see his body trembling. For some reason she knew that the only person he had told this story to was Naruto. Sakura could only wonder why he was telling her this now. She knew she had asked the question that started the conversation but why didn't he blow her off? Did he trust her? No way. Even if he did: he shouldn't. It was his wrong move. Why should she care? Everyone acted in their own self interest: why should she be any different. This was what she wanted to know and just because he was telling her this didn't mean she was obliged to trust him as well. It didn't mean she had to be his friend.

"There was blood everywhere. It was on the walls and the house was a wreck. I was scared." He said: his voice cracking just a little and Sakura could tell he wanted to cry. She knew from experience that the lump was rising in his throat and she could almost feel it in her own.

"I walked into there bedroom and…" Sakura watched as his eye widened and she knew he was relieving the very moment his life fell apart. She wondered who was luckier: the on who remembered all the time or the one who couldn't remember.

"He stood over their dead bodies with a knife in his hands. I was only eight then and I couldn't tell but now…" Sasuke trailed off and he looked right into Sakura's emotionless jade green eyes. He copied her expression obviously becoming aware that he was getting to trusting.

"Every time I see his face imprinted in my memory I look into his hollow eyes and know he was high. He killed them because he was addicted to drugs." Sasuke spat and wrinkled his nose in disgust. If only he knew. Sakura looked away ashamed. She kept telling herself she shouldn't care that she had to do whatever it took to escape the pain but she could feel the guilt and weakness gnawing at her soul and she almost felt more obliged to Sasuke then she did Naruto. Naruto had shared just as much as Sasuke. All three of them had horrible pasts, so why did she feel closer to Sasuke. She was imagining things: that's why. She needed her escape. She was losing it now. Sakura looked at the clock and grimaced seeing the red flashing letters: 9:45.


	11. letting him in

Sakura felt her heart sink knowing she still had fifteen minutes. She hadn't run all day and the last time she took a shower was this morning. To add to that matter, everything she knew was changing. The very people she had labeled and prejudged were being so unpredictable. They were reaching out to help her and she didn't even ask for it: didn't even deserve it. She had asked for a break in life and this is what she gets: nothing but so called friends who are messing up everything she ever thought to be true? She couldn't think these kinds of things through. This was the kind of time she needed those drugs. Yet she still had fifteen minutes.

"So, since you asked me a question I get to ask you a question." Sasuke said monotonously and Sakura's full attention went to him. What would he want to know from her? She nodded her head mutely and kept her face blank just as she had kept it since he started his tragic story.

"What's that scar on your arm?" He asked blatantly and Sakura gasped surprised. She quickly looked down to find the jacket she had been wearing earlier was removed. She furrowed her eyebrows in anger and twisted her face into a grimace. She knew someone would ask if they saw it.

"Why the fuck did you take my jacket off?" She screamed at Sasuke and he smirked. Did he like seeing her angry. He seemed to enjoy it. He probably liked watching her lose control. He liked to know she was weaker then him just like she liked to know he was weaker then her.

"I already answered your question. You have to answer mine." He said mockingly. Sakura knew that she was obliged to answer his question but she disagreed with the voice in her head telling her to do so. Sakura could only wonder why she felt obliged to trust him. Was it because he trusted her? That's ridiculous and…For some reason she felt the anger in her settle and she thought for a second she could trust him and it would be the second of weakness that would break her forever. It was this second that she didn't scream and yell and walk out that door and instead trusted this man just like she had trusted Naruto. The only difference between trusting Sasuke and trusting Naruto would be that one of those relationships was doomed from the start and the other would be her savior.

"I…don't know." She staggered out as she looked to her side and away from him. He stayed quiet and she knew he wanted her to continue. Painfully she remembered her nightmare that she had almost every night and the other occasional one. Then she remembered what she had been told by the people from the orphanage and she put it all together in her mind. She visible tightened and started her own tragic story.

"When I was eight both of my parents were killed in a car accident. That's what the people in the orphanage tell me." Sakura said trying to hold back the wave of emotions coming for her: drowning her.

"They say that when the car crashed I was in it and I hit my head on something. I was unconscious when they found me." She said now trembling. She hated the fact she fell unconscious. That was the reason she couldn't remember a thing. She didn't even know what her parents looked like. She didn't remember anything except being all alone in that orphanage: being hated and lonely all her life.

"My parents were both found dead and I was brought to a hospital. They say I must have gotten this scar from the crash and that my head injury made me forget everything that had happened previously in my life." Sasuke looked over at her now trying to stay emotionless but Sakura could see the sympathy in his eyes and she couldn't help but wonder why it was there.

"I was lucky I didn't have any permanent memory loss. The doctors tell me that I could still remember some things if I really tried but I don't. I don't even know what they look like. How am I supposed to remember a damn thing about them?" Sakura asked with a sad laugh. How stupid those doctors had been. How was she ever supposed to remember her parents if she didn't even know what they looked like.

"The only thing…" Sakura stopped as her eye widened in fright. Now it was time to tell him about her nightmare. The thing that scared her worse then the vut on her arm. The thing that kept her up at night.

"…is a dream." She paused for a second remember the dream and picturing it perfectly in her head. She would be brief in describing it. There was no need for details.

"In the dream I'm in my bathroom and…" Sakura looked down unsurely of what to say next. She could picture it in her mind but to say it aloud would hurt more then ever.

"I use a pocket knife to make this cut." Sakura choked those words out in a sob and she could feel her eyes water. Her thoughts stopped here. Reality was perfectly clear but she couldn't think this through anymore. Now she just acted and reacted however her body told her to and there was no voice asking her why she was doing something so foolish: letting two crystal tears slide down each cheek.

"I made another cut that healed when I used the knife to wipe away a tear. I made an oath never to cry again and I haven't until…" Sakura trailed off remember the night in the kitchen. Her thoughts were coming back to her now as she compared that night to this: Naruto holding her in his arms and letting her cry and Sasuke sitting at the end of his bed trying not to show any emotion. How different these two nights are and how different there ending would turn out.

"…once when I was with Naruto…" Sakura trailed off again and for the first time in her story she looked up and right into the Uchiha's coal black eyes. She let herself drown in them and held his gaze while she spoke aloud the ending of her tale.

"…and now once more with you." She said and he let his eyes hold hers. He let his eyes slant and his eyebrows furrow in a contemplative look and he finally looked away, yet she longed for his gaze again.

"I wonder whose tragic story is worse…" He asked aloud and she knew he would voice her own question. She smiled as he looked up at her with a smirk and finished the question.

"The one that is remembered forever or the one that will never be remembered." Sakura could stay in that moment forever and maybe then she wouldn't need the drugs and she wouldn't need to escape reality because right now reality was perfect with just the two of them smiling at each other and trusting each other and if only she knew what would happen when that moment ended. If only she knew the truly tragic end to her unfinished story. If only she knew how her reality would end. Then maybe she would have fought harder to remain in this moment in time but all Sakura could hear right now was the beeping clock.

Sakura looked over and she gasped when she saw the blinking red numbers: 10:00.


	12. Escaping and the Aftermath

Sakura sighed and tried to think of her next move. She couldn't let Sasuke see Itachi picking her up. She had to make it look like she was going home and then she could wait out in front of his apartment. What could she tell him though? He would have to drive her home so the only thing left to do is sneak out. Now she had to figure out how and she had to think fast because it was already ten o clock.

He didn't have a window so she would have to walk out the front door and it's not like he wouldn't see her doing that. Sakura then remembered the balcony and the sliding door. Perfect. She smiled at Sasuke.

"Can I step outside? I think I need a bit of fresh air." She said as she wiped away the wetness on her cheeks. Sasuke let his face fall blank again obviously a sign that the sentimental moment was over. He just shrugged and walked through his room door. Sakura rolled her eyes and got up to follow him.

Sakura found that the door led right into the living room and once she was there she looked around for Sasuke. She didn't see him and so she decided to forget about it and walked to the sliding doors on the other end of the living room. She opened one of the glass doors and stepped outside shutting it closed and then turning to see Sasuke's back. He was leaning against the rail and alarm shot through Sakura. What if he saw Itachi?

Sakura hastily took the few steps necessary to stand by his side. She sighed in relief when she took note that Itachi was apparently late. She saw Sasuke give her a sideways glance and she just shook her head to tell him it was nothing. She tried to think of a way to get Sasuke back in the house so that she could sneak out and then an idea hit her when she saw goose bumps on his arms.

"Sasuke I'm freezing my ass off! Why'd you have to take my jacket off anyway." Sakura complained furrowing her eyebrows in frustration. She had to act like her normal self so that he wouldn't be suspicious. Sasuke shrugged.

"I was curious. You always wore a jacket to school even in the middle of August and I just wanted to know what you were hiding." Sasuke said and then he sighed turning around to walk back inside. Sakura could feel a sort of rush of excitement when she heard him close the sliding door.

She looked over the end of the railing and saw a car parked right beneath her. She felt adrenaline pumping through her as she gripped the railing with both hands and climbed over it. Now she stood holding onto the railing knowing if she let go she would fall and that was exactly what she wanted. She let go of the cold black bars and pushed off the edge of the balcony with her feet. She swung her arms in the air trying to slow her descent but it didn't matter. Sakura could feel the wind blowing her hair every which way as she fell two stories down, heart pounding" brain not even working. All that she heard was the instinctive need for survival and she let her reflexes take care of that need.

Her feet hit the car first and she felt a sharp stinging pain shoot up her ankles and even go through her calves. It was so sharp it made her legs buckle and she fell on her butt, using her hands to ease the fall. Now she felt that jolt go through her wrist: not as severe but still present. The loud sound of the car alarm went off the second she touched its metal and she jumped off of the car hood, ignoring the throbbing pain in her wrist and ankles and the ache in her ass. She just ran as fast as she could and thanks to her training that was pretty fast.

She watched as a car pulled up in the parking lot and she ran for the passenger's door. She threw it open and jumped into the car on pure instinct. The car was off, racing out of the parking lot before she even closed the door.

Sakura looked at the driver and wasn't surprised to see Itachi. She somehow knew it was him. She was panting and sweating and she must look like a wreck but she knew he wouldn't care and neither did she. She was trying to push the pictures of him murdering his parents out of her head because as much as she wanted to ask him if it was true and beg him to tell her Sasuke had lied: she knew he hadn't. Itachi had murdered his family just as Sasuke said and Sakura knew that was the truth. The only question was did she care?

Her emotions told her she did as she felt bile in her throat and her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes narrowed.

"You murderous fuck." She hissed through pants but he didn't even spare her a glance. He stayed emotionless and she had a feeling he was high.

"You still came didn't you? Will you stay?" He asked blatantly and Sakura found herself nodding confirmation. She needed the drugs and she would stay. She obviously cared but not enough. She could defend herself but she had a feeling Itachi wouldn't hurt her anyway. He just saw how hurt she was and gave her a solution. He gave her an escape and that was all she needed. He didn't try to befriend her or trust her. He knew that wasn't what she wanted. He gave her what she wanted: no strings attached and she liked this relationship. He gave her an escape and there was no trust or friendship involved.

Sakura saw an orange bottle sitting in a compartment next to her. She reached for it and picked it up to observe it. Once again the label was ripped off and there were four pills in the bottle. Sakura looked at Itachi but he kept his eyes on the road. She saw him turn into a dark alley and could only wonder why. He pulled the car over and finally looked at her.

"Take it or leave." He commanded but not cruelly and Sakura nodded. This was what she wanted right. She opened the child proof cap with ease and poured the four pills into her mouth swallowing them dry. She felt a lump in her throat but it was only a few seconds before she started to feel the effects of the drugs.

She felt everything speed up, first. Her heart beat sped up and her head began to pulse. She felt like she could go for days without sleep and she probably could. All of her senses were heightened until she thought she could here everything and smell everything and everything around her alerted her to its presence and she felt everything all at once in a messy jumble of thoughts that didn't quite reach the conscious part of her mind. Sakura tightened her muscles and curled her fist and squeezed her eyes shut with furrowed eyebrows.

It was then Itachi reached over and used his hand o cup her cheek. He made her face him but her eyes were closed and she refused to open them. She felt a warm presence smash roughly against her lips and knew what it was. He was kissing her and she knew it was wrong but the part of her that knew that was gone. It was left in reality while she had her escape and she didn't care what she had to do to get it.

She thought this even as Itachi grabbed both of her wrists and pinned them against the window, as he violently turned her body to face him and he climbed on top of her still roughly kissing her. No, she didn't care. She was lost for now and she liked it this way. She didn't care who else she would hurt because Sakura Haruno was okay right now and that was her top priority. Or at least it was that night.

Sakura woke up the next morning in her own bed. She was still in the clothes she had worn the night before and everything that had happened was a blue. She remembered her conversation with Sasuke and she remembered jumping off of his balcony and getting in the car with Itachi. She even remembered taking the drugs and kissing him. She didn't think she lost her virginity that night but she didn't know exactly how far they had gotten. The drugs made her mind fuzzy and she was partly relieved she didn't remember. Maybe that would make lying to Sasuke a little easier.

Sakura swung her feet off the bed and put them on the floor. She immediately felt a sharp stinging pain in her ankles and hissed in pain. Unfortunately the bottle of Aspirin was in a cabinet in her bathroom. She needed to take a bath anyway. She wouldn't be able to stand in the shower and she couldn't go to school dirty like she was. Slowly she started to put more and more of her body weight on her feet, moaning and groaning the whole time, until she was standing. Now she started taking the necessary steps towards her bathroom and walked very slowly. She almost couldn't believe she had sprinted right after falling on her ankles the way she did.

Soon Sakura found herself in her bathroom opening a medicine cabinet and digging around for the Aspirin bottle. She found the white bottle with it's red label and opened the child proof safety cap popping two of the white pills in her mouth and swallowing them dry, just like the drugs.

Sakura threw the bottle carelessly on her vanity and walked over to the bath tub. She bent down slowly and heard her ankles crack as she winced in pain. She managed to turn the facet and plug the drain. Slowly and painfully she pulled her shirt off and then undid her bra. She realized there was no way she would be able to get her jeans off without sitting so she let herself fall non to gracefully to the floor so she could pull off her jeans. She pulled off her panties too and then got on her knees. Sakura put her hands on the side of the bath tub in an effort to help her stand up but a jolt went through her wrists and she remembered that she had hurt her wrists as well. Sakura winced in pain and sighed as she fell on her butt again. She realized she had to get in the tub though so as furrowed her eyebrows and closed her eyes as she ignored her protesting joints and stood up put one leg in the tub and then the other. She let herself plop in the water and she didn't pay mind to the water that splashed out the tub. Right now she just wanted to enjoy a warm bath and relax. She had to say that she was relieved she was going through all this pain though. It was keeping her mind off of Sasuke and Naruto and all the other thoughts that had been haunting her mind.


End file.
